


solstice

by en passant (corinthian)



Series: this time, a happy end [4]
Category: Fate/Grand Order
Genre: M/M, Non-Graphic Sex, don't worry im already embarrassed for myself, this continues for whatever reason
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-22
Updated: 2016-02-22
Packaged: 2018-05-22 13:37:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6081366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/corinthian/pseuds/en%20passant
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>the continued adventures of cute fluff, guest starring some serious feelings as well.</p>
            </blockquote>





	solstice

**Author's Note:**

> please ship siegrobin with me

Robin knew, without being told, what kind of man Dan Blackmore was. (Had been.) The purest of knights, the soldier who's beliefs only went as far as to serve someone else's needs. Dan was the kind of person who spoke honestly about his desires. His duties. His lovely late wife, what kind of world he was leaving the youth of today. He always acted like a man with one foot out the door — not a soldier with a death-wishr but the kind of man who understands that people die every day, that he is as likely to die as any of them.

It irritated Robin.

Dan's careful calculations on honor and courage and bravery. As if they meant something when people were actually dying — but it wasn't just idealism. Robin couldn't just call him naive. Dan had been there as well. Dan had been on the battlefields, had fought a war, had been a sniper hidden away in the trees killing people without being seen.

And yet, he kept going on about proper conduct. Justice needs to be carried out in a just way.

It seemed like an ideal that Robin could never reach. A face-to-face fight, on equal footing, he was sure he would lose. Then, he'd lose everything. He could never have hoped to stand up to anyone — to do anything, positive — had he not been underhanded. Cheating had been the only way. 

"C'mon old man, make it easier on me! If you go, I go. Can't have that happening!" He had said, more than once, probably. Their relationship should have been one of business. He was the Servant, Dan was the Master. Somehow, though, he felt like he had some personal responsibility to Dan — to watch out for him, do any dirty work that Dan wouldn't do himself. It was better to ask for forgiveness (or, in his case, not at all) than permission.

Then, there had been too many apologies.

It's difficult, because those thoughts never leave him. He doesn't mean to be the kind of person who broods — it's a ridiculously bad habit to stew on past events. But all too often he catches himself thinking of the past and how he could have changed it.

The answer is always the same, he just hadn't been good enough to make any other choices.

* * *

Robin read up on Siegfried. He does his research on every Servant his Master pulls. His Master this time around is also a little soft. She isn't as idealistic as Dan had been but there's an enthusiasm about her that just screams 'take advantage of me.' So Robin does his research, keeps his mental notes tidy, and if she ever pulls a bad apple, he knows he'll take care of it.

It's unfair, he knows, because even if Siegfried knows about "Robin Hood", that's the wrong man.

"There's no reason to hide our identities," Siegfried mentions, off-hand, "It's. . . a refreshing kind of alliance, we have."

"That's a general 'we', hm?" Robin asks.

Again, they have down time, waiting for the others to get back. Their Master with her new Servants — the small Caster who isn't a person at all, Nursery Rhyme and the lady Saint, Jeanne who joined their party as well — is off, aiding the Saber Mordred. Not what Robin had expected, but she doesn't seem that bad. 

They've found things to do, at Chaldea. Mostly manual labor, but some of it has been boring like organizing documents or cleaning out old rooms. They spent an entire weekend helping 'Da Vinci-chan' with her workshop — and Robin promised never again.

It would be easier to keep tabs on everyone if he was along with them, however. Instead, Robin and Siegfried volunteered themselves for kitchen duty. Rather, Siegfried volunteered himself, Robin tagged along and found out Siegfried doesn't know anything about kitchens.

"In almost every other circumstance, it wouldn't be advantageous." Siegfried points out. He peels another potato, large hunks of the vegetable coming off with the skin. Robin picks through the peelings to deftly salvage any pieces worth keeping.

Neither of them comments on their system, though every now and then Siegfried's cheeks color when Robin reaches over to grab another misshapen hunk.

"Are you saying it's advantageous right now?"

"Knowing who has your back makes the whole team stronger." Siegfried's reply is, as always, too honest. 

"Are you saying you know me?" Robin can't help himself. 

"Yes." Siegfried answers without hesitation.

"So, if I quiz you now, then you'll get them all right?" Robin grins, stabs the paring knife he was using into the tabletop. "Not get a single one wrong?"

Siegfried hesitates then. He's not sure what's at stake. Their relationship — friends, allies, confidants, lovers — is simple to him. He trusts Robin, he likes Robin. They both understand that their Master comes first, but after that. . .

Robin isn't sure he deserves being ranked number two like that.

". . . yes," Siegfried answers and then clarifies, "I'll do my best."

"I'll start easy, what's my name?" Robin leans back, balances his chair on the back two legs.

"Robin," Siegfried frowns.

Robin winks. "Got one so far. Second question, what's my favorite food?"

"... I don't know." Siegfried looks honestly discouraged. 

"Well, that's fine. I don't have one, actually." Robin drums his fingers on the tabletop. He rocks his chair to the side and then balances it on one leg. 

Siegfried watches this with some amount of awe. Robin is always doing things like that, casual acts of balance that almost no one else could be capable of. Scaling the Chaldea walls that look smooth to Siegfried's eye but Robin finds footholds and handholds and can get to the roof in a matter of minutes. Easily making his way through a throng of Servants, any crowded hallway and even a pack of monsters without getting caught. He's nimble and agile in a way Siegfried never will be.

"This one is a toughie," Robin holds up three fingers, "Since it's the last one. Who was Robin Hood?"

* * *

Robin Hood was not one person but several who assumed a mantle to carry a burden that wasn't asked of him. Essentially, he volunteered himself for a thankless task.

Robin Hood was not a man from the village he haunted, but an outsider who brought down the wrath of the lord on the villagers. It was easy enough to place the blame where it should go.

Robin Hood was the child of a druid, loved by the fairies and the forest, hated by others.

Robin Hood was no one.

Robin Hood was hopeful, naive and foolish.

(There is the Robin who Richard the Lionheart knew and invited to dine and stand with him. That Robin, perhaps, is not the same as this one. But it could also be said that the Robin that Richard knew was not the Robin who's exploits he praised.)

Robin was a young man who was conflicted, afraid and only had his attempts at justice — and in the end, he knew even those fell short.

* * *

Siegfried thinks on the question. He knows it's a trick question, that Robin would have to have one where the answer is hidden and secret. He won't ever claim to know everything about Robin, his earlier confidence wasn't one of absolute knowledge of the mind, but the heart.

"Give up yet?" Robin prompts, he settles the chair back down, all four feet solid and takes the potato in Siegfried's hand. In one smooth twist, he's peeled it.

"I don't know who Robin Hood was," Siegfried starts, carefully and then pushes forward. "But I know who you are now. You're the man I trust to have my back, the man I depend on. The man I care for very much. Robin Hood fights to the end with his comrades, is dependable and courageous — "

Robin throws the potato at Siegfried.

"Ah! Ahh! Just stop talking! Every word out of your mouth is so — " But he's bright red, and his hood wasn't up so all he can do is lean forward and bury his face in his arms. "Shit. . . what kind of speech is that. . ."

Siegfried picks the potato up off of the floor and sets it on the table before scooting his chair over a little closer.

"It's the truth."

"Don't get your expectations up so high," Robin tilts his face to the side a bit, giving Siegfried a lopsided grin. "Robin Hood was a knave and a scoundrel, you know."

"And I've been a deceiver with many regrets."

"You can't fool me, Mr. Gold Saber." Robin waves a finger at him, "You're one of those true heroic types."

Siegfried just shakes his head. "Nothing I said was untrue." 

They go back to peeling potatoes, but sitting closer together this time. Close enough that their elbows and shoulders brush, but it's a companionable atmosphere. Even if Robin sometimes elbows Siegfried in the side, just hard enough to try and cover his earlier embarrassment.

* * *

"No regrets." It's a question and a statement. Siegfried wants to live that way, not looking back, but forward. He also wants to make sure that this is what Robin really, really, _truly_ wants.

Robin groans in exasperation. He can't even be that mad that Siegfried is asking, since he had essentially asked the same question moments ago but they kept going around in this loop. First, a kiss — no surprises this time, no tangled limbs, just a kiss. Then it had been a longer kiss and they hurried down the hallways of Chaldea, kissing and bumping into each other until they got to one of the rooms that had been set aside for Servants to rest in.

Then, it had been Robin's self-doubt, a joke, saying Siegfried was certainly just as easy on the eyes as the village girls but he had to know what he was getting into.

Then, Siegfried's need to make sure that Robin's self-doubt hadn't been doubt in kisses. Or in undressing. Or in anything that came after that.

Then, Robin's own need to clarify.

"... no regrets." Robin agrees, but now they're both sitting on the edge of the bed, shirtless with the laces on Siegfried's pants undone and no further along than kisses — on the lips, neck, chest and hands. "Think we might've missed the boat."

Siegfried buries his face in his hands and for a moment, Robin thinks it might be embarrassment, but then Siegfried starts laughing. At first, it's soft and then it's a full blown roar of laughter. It's the first time that Robin has heard that kind of laugh from Siegfried.

"Hey, hey! Look — " Robin shakes Siegfried by the shoulder, and he's about to say _the mood's ruined_.

But Siegfried catches Robin's other hand, brings it to his lips and kisses his fingers. "You give up too easily, sometimes, Robin."

"— well, if you're still up for it — " Robin blushes.

"I have no regrets." Siegfried says.

It's far from perfect. Robin accidentally bites Siegfried's lip. Siegfried's knee slips on the sheets and he almost shoves Robin off of the bed. Robin keeps turning his face to the side, cheeks red and Siegfried keeps gently turning him back towards him. They kiss, they press close together and try to find a rhythm. Robin can't figure out where to put his hands, so they travel across Siegfried's body until Siegfried laces their fingers together. They're messy, come at different times and with one look, fumble to go again. Siegfried's back is sensitive, and even the lightest touchest from Robin's hands send shivers down his entire body. Robin is equally as sensitive, behind his right ear — Siegfried's new favorite place to kiss.

It's only after they're both spent, Robin pressing close against Siegfried's back that he says, "No regrets." He doesn't have the words to say what he'd really like to, but this is close enough. Siegfried laughs, once, a joyful exhausted exhale. 

"I love you too."

Siegfried doesn't have to turn around to know that the face Robin presses against his skin is red, or that Robin has that uncontrollable embarrassed smile that always looks a little bit nervous on.

". . . yeah," Robin mutters. "I mean — I also, shit. I love you too."


End file.
